Saturday, November 04, 2006

How To Line A Hat With (micro)Fleece

This luscious handspun/handknit headband I bought when I was in the throes of hypothermia at the New Hampshire Sheep & Wool Festival has a nice little secret.
It's lined in polyester fleece. See how simple and nice and invisible it is from the outside? It makes the slightly scratchy handspun wearable over my ears and forehead, and it adds a layer of warmth and wind protection.

I've used this procedure to line mittens and hats and neckwarmers in the past. Abigail's Snow Queen hat and mittens (see my galleries in 2004 and 2005) are lined this way, at her request.

As I promised earlier in the week, here is a tutorial to make this simple, quick and inexpensive, yet highly effective, lining. No sewing machine is required, although I used mine for this project.

Using your finished hat as a rough guide, cut a trapezoid (thanks to Ms. Lauren for helping me remember wtf that shape is called) that roughly follows the lines of your hat. Make it twice as wide as the hat, with a little extra for a seam allowance. Fleece has a nice stretch to it -- in one direction only. Make sure you cut the fabric so it stretches horizontally to fit around the head. Trim it so the slanted cuts match each other.

Fold the fabric and seam close to the edge, up the slanted side. Cut a little triangle piece off the opposite side to reduce bulk, if desired, and seam that cut.

Using a needle and thread, baste around the top edge of the lining, close to the edge. Pull the thread like a drawstring.

See? You've made a simple hat shape.

Place the lining inside your hat and trim the bottom edge to fit, if necessary. Fleece does not unravel, so the edge can remain unhemmed.

Using a tapestry needle, and yarn that matches or blends with the yarn of the hat, attach the top of the lining to the inside of the top of the hat two or three times. Just a couple simple knots pulled through both thicknesses and tied is all that is required.

Again using the tapestry needle and yarn, stitch the edge of the lining just inside the bottom edge of the hat.

I was thinking of you at the NHSW this morning as I was out walking a freezing my arse off. I remembered how you came so unprepared for the cold, just as I was this morning. Glad to see you learned from you past indiscretions, as I wished I had.

Talk about serendipitous timing! Just this morning I was thinking about a Dulaan hat I could make but it would need to be 2 layers in order to be warm enough. But I did NOT want to spend the time to knit a lining. Your tutorial has solved my problem -- now to knit the hat.

Thanks! btw, I e-mailed Pantera today and gave them four (4) reasons why sponsoring the Red Scarf Project would be good for them. Sure hope they are listening.

I'd probably just use plain old thread to stitch the lining in, since it would go through the fleece a bit more easily. Great tutorial! I never thought of lining a knit with fleece, but then I lived most of my life in Southern California where it just doesn't get cold, ever. Good thing to know, especially when making things up for Dulaan where it absolutely does get very cold.

Thank you! I'm so not a sewing person, and that very idea had been tickling me for the hats made out of handspun. Now I can do it. I had envisioned much more sewing into the hat, which could have been a deal breaker for me.

Help! Your instructions are outstanding!!! I followed them to create a lining for a knitted nordic hat. BUT>....... I am not a seamstress and my fleece is shedding everywhere. Anybody know why? Did I not buy real fleece? I am it is shedding everywhere!! Help

Oo just what I needed to save me from the forehead rash I'm developing :) Probably could have managed on my own but it's nice to see someone has done exactly what I was contemplating and it worked fine. I knew the thing about directional stretch but sure as shootin' I'd have forgotten had I not just read it in your post and then it would have been a 50:50 chance to get it right. Ta for the post.